We All Have A Meaningful Story

By Kelly Berthold, LCSW

Actor Michael Sheen in his (not so recent) TedTalk spoke out about the critical need to support storytellers from working-class and professional backgrounds—and he’s right.

But here’s the thing: everyday people—researchers, community members, advocates, and educators—have been saying this for years. It’s not a new message, but it’s videos like these that help the message gain traction thanks, in part, to a TED conversation by a highly prestigious actor. This video has been circulating for multiple years and I was happy to see it randomly this morning in my feed.

It’s powerful that someone with such visibility can draw attention to this important issue. And that’s also part of the problem.

We have to ask ourselves: why does it take a celebrity to get us to care about something our neighbors, colleagues, and community leaders have been naming all along? As consumers, we need to spend more energy and time considering why we’re more inclined to listen to a household name than to someone we share a sidewalk or community with.

Know Your FundaMENTALs is a podcast that flips the script. It’s not about celebrity. It’s about real people—your neighbors, your coworkers, maybe even you—who are putting their passions into practice, navigating life with purpose, and learning how to thrive.

You don’t have to sit down with Oprah or Andrew Huberman to say something worth hearing. Your experience matters. Your insight matters. You have something to say that someone else out there might desperately need to hear.

If you’re someone who’s tapped into the extraordinary in your ordinary life—and you want to share what fuels you, drives you, and keeps you grounded—I’d love to hear your story.

Let’s connect. Let’s relate. Let’s remind the world that flourishing isn’t just for the famous. It’s for all of us.